Does Wealthfront Offer CDs? | Where Your Cash Can Go

No, Wealthfront doesn’t offer CDs; it points savers to its Cash Account and a Treasury-based bond ladder instead.

You’re here for a straight answer: can you open a certificate of deposit on Wealthfront and lock a fixed rate for a set term? You can’t. Wealthfront isn’t a bank, and it doesn’t list CDs as a product type. What it does offer can still meet many CD-style goals—parking cash, earning yield, and keeping your plan simple—if you pick the right lane for your timeline.

This article explains what Wealthfront offers in place of CDs, when a CD still fits better, and how to choose between a cash sweep account and a Treasury ladder without getting tripped up by fine print.

What A CD Does And Why People Like Them

A CD is a deposit account at a bank or credit union. You put money in, agree to leave it there until a maturity date, and you get a stated rate. If you pull money early, you usually pay an early-withdrawal penalty. The tradeoff is simple: less flexibility, steadier terms.

CDs can feel tidy for goals with a clear date—like a house down payment next summer or tuition due in the fall. If you know you won’t touch the money, locking a rate can help you stop second-guessing.

On the safety side, CDs at an FDIC-insured bank are deposit products. FDIC deposit insurance can apply up to the standard limit per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category, and it includes accrued interest through a bank closing date.

Does Wealthfront Offer CDs? What The App Uses Instead

Wealthfront’s menu is built around cash management and investing, not term deposit CDs. Two parts matter most for CD-style goals: the Cash Account and the Automated Bond Ladder.

Cash Account: A Deposit Sweep Setup

The Cash Account is a place to hold cash while earning interest. Under the hood, cash can be swept to interest-bearing deposit accounts at partner banks through a sweep program. Wealthfront publishes its current list of participating banks on its Program Banks page.

The practical takeaway: you’re holding bank deposits at one or more program banks, not a CD contract with a fixed maturity date. You can add or withdraw money as you would with a cash account, subject to the platform’s transfer rules and bank processing time.

Automated Bond Ladder: US Treasuries With Staggered Maturities

If your goal is “lock in current yields while still keeping scheduled access,” Wealthfront points many users to its Automated Bond Ladder. It’s built from U.S. Treasury securities that mature at different times, so money comes due on a rolling schedule.

This is not a deposit account. It’s an investment in Treasuries, which means pricing can move if you sell before maturity. If you hold each Treasury to maturity, you get the face value back, plus the interest owed under the Treasury’s terms.

Why Wealthfront Pushes Ladders Instead Of CDs

Wealthfront has published its own comparison of CDs and Treasury ladders, focusing on how a ladder can provide scheduled maturities without a single long lockup. You can read that product positioning in its article CD Vs. Bond Ladder.

How To Decide Between A CD, A Cash Account, And A Treasury Ladder

Most people aren’t chasing a product label. They’re chasing a result: steady growth with clear rules. Start with your timeline and your need for access. Then match it to the tool that fits.

Pick A Time Horizon First

If you may need the money tomorrow, a term lock can be a headache. If you won’t need the money for a set period, a fixed term can feel calm. For timelines in the middle, a ladder—either CDs at a bank or Treasuries in a bond ladder—can spread maturity dates out so you’re not stuck with one big lockup.

Know What You’re Getting: Deposit Rate Versus Yield

A CD’s rate is tied to a deposit contract. A Treasury ladder’s yield is tied to the market pricing of the bonds you buy. They can land near each other, or not, depending on the rate cycle. With a ladder, you can also end up with a mix of yields across rungs as you buy over time.

Match The Safety Feature To The Product

CDs and swept cash deposits are designed as bank deposits, so the safety story is mostly about FDIC deposit insurance and ownership limits. The FDIC’s own overview, Deposit Insurance at a Glance, explains what counts as an insured deposit and how limits work.

Treasuries sit in a different bucket. They are backed by the U.S. government, yet they are not FDIC-insured deposits. That’s fine, but it changes how you should frame “safe.” With Treasuries, the bigger practical risk is selling early into a market that moved against your purchase price.

Table 1

Side-By-Side Comparison Of CD Alternatives On Wealthfront

Goal Or Constraint	Best Match On Wealthfront	Tradeoff To Accept
Cash you may need any day	Cash Account (sweep deposits)	No fixed term or fixed rate lock
Money you can earmark for months	Cash Account plus savings categories	Rate can change over time
Planned spend date within 6–24 months	Automated Bond Ladder (Treasuries)	Price can move if you sell early
Want maturities rolling in regularly	Automated Bond Ladder	Not a bank deposit product
Prefer a single insured bank relationship	CD at a bank outside Wealthfront	Requires opening an external account
Hate early withdrawal penalties	Cash Account or Treasuries held to maturity	Needs discipline to stay on plan
Trying to keep taxes simple	Cash Account (interest reporting)	May owe state tax on interest
Seeking state-tax-free interest	Treasuries in a bond ladder	Needs comfort with bond statements

What To Check Before You Park Cash On Any Platform

Cash products can look alike on the surface: a rate, a balance, a debit card. The details live in the structure under the hood. These checks can save headaches later.

Confirm Where The Money Sits

With a sweep setup, your cash is moved to deposit accounts at partner banks. That’s why Wealthfront keeps a public list of program banks. If you already have accounts at any of those banks, map your total deposits by ownership category so you don’t assume FDIC deposit insurance that won’t apply.

Understand Access And Timing

A CD has a clear maturity date. A sweep cash account gives you access, but transfers can still take time, and transaction limits can exist depending on the feature you use. A Treasury ladder can provide scheduled liquidity as each rung matures, yet selling early can create a gain or loss.

Check The Rate Mechanics

CD rates are set at purchase. Cash account rates can change. Bond yields are set at purchase, but market value can shift. When rates rise, older bonds tend to trade lower; when rates fall, older bonds tend to trade higher. If you plan to hold Treasuries to maturity, that day-to-day swing matters less.

Taxes And Reporting

Bank interest from CDs and cash accounts is typically taxed at the federal and state level. Treasury interest is subject to federal income tax and is generally exempt from state and local income taxes. That difference can matter if you live in a high-tax state and you’re holding a sizable amount.

Table 2

Decision Checklist For Picking Your Next Step

Your Situation	Move That Fits	What To Set Up
Emergency fund you want liquid	Cash Account	Auto-transfer and a minimum balance rule
Large cash balance above one bank’s FDIC limit	Sweep cash across program banks	Track existing deposits at the same banks
Known expense date in 12 months	Treasury ladder timed to your date	Rungs that mature before the deadline
Rate shopping with no desire to manage bonds	CD at an outside bank	Choose term, know the penalty, set maturity reminder
Saving for a goal with fuzzy timing	Blend: cash for near term, Treasuries for later	Split balances by “need soon” and “need later”
You may need to exit early	Cash Account over a long CD	Keep a buffer so you don’t sell bonds early
You want a set-and-forget schedule	Automated Bond Ladder	Regular deposits tied to payday

Practical Ways To Use Wealthfront If You Wanted A CD

If you came here because you like the “set it and leave it” feel of CDs, you can recreate that discipline with a few simple rules inside Wealthfront’s product set.

Create A “Do Not Touch” Layer

Separate money you’ll spend soon from money you won’t. A clean split is a cash buffer for bills and near-term needs, plus a longer bucket for money you can leave alone. The win isn’t a label. It’s removing temptation.

Use A Ladder For Dates That Matter

If you have a target date, set the ladder so maturities land before you need the cash. That way you’re not forced to sell. Even a simple ladder with a few maturity points can cut stress.

Keep A Simple Note For Your Own Clarity

Write down the goal, the amount, and the date in a note you’ll see. When a rate changes or headlines get noisy, that note keeps your plan steady. It also helps you avoid chasing yields with money that has a job.

When A Traditional CD Still Wins

There are cases where a plain CD at a bank fits best.

• You want a single maturity date. One CD can be cleaner than a ladder when you have one hard deadline.
• You want a contract rate. A CD rate is set for the term, while a cash account rate can move.
• You prefer bank-only simplicity. If you don’t want a brokerage statement, a CD keeps everything in deposit-account land.

If that’s you, there’s no downside to using Wealthfront for what it does well, then using a bank CD for the one job that needs a fixed term. You’re building a system, not picking a team.

A Clear Takeaway For CD Shoppers

Wealthfront won’t open a CD for you. If your goal is to lock money away at a fixed rate, you’ll need a bank or credit union CD outside the platform. If your goal is to earn on cash with flexible access, the Cash Account is the closer match. If your goal is to line up cash for a later date while holding U.S. Treasuries, a bond ladder can fit well.